Anniversary
by avatarfan82
Summary: On a very special day Mako and Korra share a very special moment together that will change their relationship. *Warning*: contains some description of physical contact and fluffiness but no smut!


Mako sat in the living room as he stared at a small flame flickering on a candle in front of him. The candle provided the only source of light and he found himself strangely intrigued by the way the fire danced, swaying left and right. He was so entranced that he didn't hear the light footsteps coming from his right. He didn't even perceive another person had entered his space until he felt arms gently encircle his neck from behind and felt warm breath tickle his ear.

"Hey, what are you doing in here by yourself in the dark?" Korra asked, placing the lightest of kisses on his earlobe. He absently stroked her arm as he replied,

"Just thinking."

Korra walked around the couch and curled up next to him. She lay her head on his chest as he draped his arm around her shoulders. Korra sat silently listening to the steady drum of his heartbeat. It was so strong and steady, and she found herself feeling comforted by the consistency of the sound. In that moment, she wished she could provide some comfort to her troubled firebender, but she knew that would be difficult to do tonight.

"How was Bo today?" she asked, and Mako slightly shrugged.

"He was fine. He's always fine. Honestly, I don't think it bothers him very much. Maybe he just humors me because he feels like he's supposed to."

Korra placed a hand on his chest as she chose her words carefully.

"Well, even if he doesn't remember much about what happened, he knows that it means something to you. That has to count for something, right?"

Mako grabbed her hand and softly kissed it before placing it back in its original spot.

"I know he tries his best to understand. I guess sometimes I still just feel…" he trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"Alone?" she prompted. He didn't speak but the inward sigh he emitted said more than any of his words could have.

The pair sat in silence for a long moment, until Mako spoke up quietly.

"You know, this may come as a shock to you, but I don't like feeling that way."

Korra smiled to herself as she thought about the numerous times that he had requested to be by himself and even gotten upset with her when she hovered too closely to him. Somehow, she had known it was all a façade.

"I think I told myself that it would just be better to…to keep people away. That way, it wouldn't bother me as much when they left." Mako struggled to get this statement out and Korra found herself squeezing his hand more tightly, willing him to continue speaking. Somehow, she knew he needed to continue talking. Momentarily, he did.

"Bo never had any sense of boundaries. But, I never cared because I knew he would always be there. I didn't have to worry about him leaving. But I couldn't trust anyone else like that."

Korra momentarily felt his breath catch in his chest, and this prompted her to wrap both arms around his waist. She wanted him to know that she would be there and could think of no other way to convey that message.

"When I lost them, the night they were killed…I don't remember feeling much. I'm sure I was hurt, devastated, all of those things you would feel when the most important people in your life are ripped away. I guess I just blocked it all out. The one feeling I know I had that night, though, was my concern for Bo. I had to protect him from the pain and from the world. I spent every moment of my life doing that."

His voice never wavered and he didn't display any sadness, but Korra could still feel it somehow. It was as if she could sense it radiating from him and reaching out to her. Her eyes had filled with tears as he spoke and now that he had paused, they silently spilled down her cheeks. She kept silent until she felt that she had regained control of her voice. Then, she hesitantly asked him a question.

"What about you, Mako? Who's supposed to protect you?"

She knew he would have no response for her, but she had to ask it anyway. She felt his heart beat quicken in his chest and she finally looked up at him. His eyes were squeezed shut and his face registered pain. She got to her knees on the couch and wrapped her arms around him, bringing his head to her chest, and gently stroked his hair. Normally, this would be the point when he pulled away and retreated in this kind of conversation. Surprisingly, he didn't pull away or fight against her embrace; he simply gave in. There was no crying on his part because that wasn't his way of expressing his feelings, but the act of him allowing her to hold him was one of the biggest steps he could take. More importantly, it was one of the biggest signs he could give to show that he trusted her.

No longer hiding the emotion that choked her voice, Korra said. "Let me do it. I want to."

Confusion appeared on his face as he opened his eyes and met her gaze.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Protect you."

That simple phrase caused him to feel such a strong pang inside that he couldn't help but embrace her strongly. No one had ever offered to protect him in his entire life, and he couldn't verbally express how much it meant for him to have this stubborn, caring, loyal, beautiful woman he married to speak those words to him now.

Korra was the first to pull away from Mako's arms and she gazed briefly into his eyes. Then, without another word, she softly pressed her lips to his. He responded immediately, travelling from her upper lip to her lower lip and back again. Eventually, he broke the plane of her mouth and began to explore the insides of her mouth. An audible sigh escaped Korra's lips as she felt several sensations in other parts of her body. Mako firmly held her body toward his as he shifted positions so that she was lying on the couch as he leaned over her. He caressed the smooth skin of her leg and briefly appreciated the fact that she had chosen shorts and a tank top to wear to bed that night. He immediately started to venture to other parts of her body with his kisses, specifically trailing them down her neck and completing his journey near her belly button. Each touch felt like a warm imprint on her skin and this time she couldn't help but moan. She opened her eyes to look into his and the heavy-lidded expression on her face was one that Mako was very familiar with.

At this point, Korra halted Mako's advances as she roughly pulled his shirt from his body to expose his toned chest and abdomen. She ran her fingers up and down his torso, enjoying the feeling of the warmth of his skin mixed with the firmness of muscle. As her hands travelled lower and came to rest on the band of the shorts that rested low on his hips, she could see the effect her touch was starting to have on him. Showing the agility that only a bender of her stature could possess, she shifted their positions so that he was now on the couch and she was bent over him. A smile played on her lips as she contemplated having control of the situation now and what she could do with that control.

In contrast to Mako's travels, she began her journey at his belly button and went even lower, causing him to close his eyes and emit a low grunting noise. She knew that she was doing the right things, not only from the sounds he was making but also from the reactions from his body. One main reaction let her know that he was indeed ready, and she ventured back up toward his lips, crushing hers onto his with little restraint. She allowed the full weight of her body to press against his as they kissed, so that each and every curve was in contact with his skin. Even with her still fully clothed, he felt everything and found himself starting to approach his breaking point.

"Korra…" he breathed once they parted and she nodded, knowing exactly the need he was trying to express. She felt it just as strongly. No more words were spoken as they gave into each other's desires, using pleasure as a type of remedy for the emotional pain that had been felt earlier that evening.

* * *

Later that night, they both lay on the couch under a blanket, enjoying the warmth they felt as they lay with their bodies intertwined. Korra was slightly on top of Mako, with her head snuggled into his bare chest as he ran his fingertips lightly along the bare skin of her arm. They lay that way for several silent moments until Mako said,

"Thank you."

Korra grinned at the memory of their adventure that night and responded. "I think I should be thanking you. You showed a lot of creativity tonight." She said playfully. Mako chuckled slightly as he gave her a squeeze.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, but that's not exactly what I was talking about." He said, a serious tone returning to his voice at the end of his statement.

"I wanted to thank you for listening to me earlier and for the things you said. I've always had a hard time when this day comes around because I'm forced to think about the fact that they were taken from me like that. But, I feel like after tonight, it won't be so bad now. So, thank you."

Korra turned to look at him, propping her head up on his chest with her chin.

"I'm just so grateful that you let me in, Mako. I know it's hard and the fact that you let me go there with you means a lot. I guess I should be thanking you, then." She said quietly.

Mako leaned down and kissed her again, confident that any words he tried to say wouldn't accurately express how powerful his feelings for her were in that moment. Then, he leaned his head back against the pillow he was laying on top off as she returned her head to its position on his upper torso. Without words or worries to hinder them any longer, and the need for sleep taking over, they both drifted off peacefully into unconsciousness.

* * *

**I wanted to try my hand at a "suggestive" type of scene while also addressing what Mako might go through as he experienced the anniversary of his parents' murder. So, this one shot is the result of that effort. I hope you like it and let me know what you think (aka leave a review). :)**


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